Authorities are investigating an “unsurvivable” crash of a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft that killed eight people in Southern California on June 15.
The crash happened shortly after the B-52 bomber took off at about 11:20 a.m. local time at Edwards Air Force Base, officials said.
“We lost eight great Americans. This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable,” Col. James Hayes said.
Officials haven’t yet revealed a cause of the crash, and said an investigation with final conclusions could take months. The victims have also not yet been formally identified.
Here’s what we know about the investigation:
The aircraft that crashed was a B-52 Stratofortress, a long-haul heavy bomber that can reach subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.
The plane, which was on a test mission in support of a radar modernization program, “crashed and burst into flames,” immediately after taking off, Hayes said.
“Our team of first responders snapped into action” to put out the flames, Hayes said.
Footage of the aftermath of the crash site showed a large charred area with debris strewn about and smoke rising from the remains. The crash was “totally contained” on the runway of the base, Hayes said.
Officials haven’t revealed a cause of the crash as of June 16. Its cause was being investigated, and officials didn’t have “any indication” of the cause, Hayes said.
Edwards Air Force Base is spread across parts of Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernadino counties. It’s about 100 miles north of the city of Los Angeles.
Authorities haven’t identified the victims on board the bomber when it crashed, but said they were a mix of military personnel and civilian contractors. Family members were being notified on June 15, Hayes said.
“This was a mixed crew,” Hayes said.
Airplane manufacturing company Boeing confirmed in a statement that two of the victims were employees and said it was in touch with their families to offer support.
“We mourn this loss and honor the service of our Airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day to advance our mission. I send my sincerest condolences to their families and loved ones,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said.
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